FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2008 Simonson continues win streak at 2008 U.S. Senior Nationals (HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) - Brian Simonson's Hibbing, Minn., team pushed its win streak to four straight to remain undefeated at the 2008 USA Curling Senior National Championships Friday morning at the Exmoor Curling Club. Simonson (Hibbing, Minn.) and teammates Tom Harms (Pengilly, Minn.), John Kokotovich (Hibbing, Minn.) and Don Mohawk (Nashwauk, Minn.) defeated Merlin Orvik's Minnesota team, 6-3, to improve to 4-0 and sit alone at the top of Pool A. The Simonson team, which won the 2006 senior championship, gave up a steal in the opening end but never trailed after that. Orvik's team falls to 1-3 in the standings. Philip DeVore's Minnesota team won its third straight game to keep its playoff hopes alive, bettering Michigan's Duke Grimshaw, 7-2. DeVore (Superior, Wis.) and teammates Ron Gervais (Tofte, Minn.), Doug Cameron (Duluth, Minn.) and David Bopp (Proctor, Minn.) broke a close game open with a steal of four in the sixth end to grab a 7-1 lead. Grimshaw's team (0-4) could only grab a single in the seventh end. Paul Pustovar's Minnesota squad also improved to 3-1 with a 5-4 win over Alaska's Leland Rich team. Pustovar (Hibbing, Minn.) and teammates Robert Magie (Duluth, Minn.), Tony Berarducci (Side Lake, Minn.) and Richard Maskel (Green Bay, Wis.) had a see-saw match with the Alaskans but scored one in the final end to secure the win. Michael Parry's Massachusetts team got into the win column by stealing the final end to upset George Godfrey's Wisconsin team, 7-6. Parry (Marlborough, Mass.) and teammates Ron Miller (Natick, Mass.), Edward Vassar (Framingham, Mass.), Peter Van Demark (Rockport, Mass.) and Dick Nestle (Wayland, Mass.) trailed for most of the match but pulled within one after scoring a deuce in the seventh end. With the loss, Godfrey's 2004 senior national champions fall to 2-2. Action today continues with draws at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Live scoring from this event is available at www.usacurl.org. The men's round robin continues through Sunday. The top two teams from each pool will meet in Sunday's semifinal with the championship final on tap at 8 a.m. Monday. The women will play a double round robin with the team with the best record earning the national title. The winning teams will represent the U.S. at the World Senior Championships in Vierumaki, Finland, March 8-16. Line scores: Pustovar 010 102 01 5
Rich* 002 010 10 4 Godfrey* 103 101 00 6
Parry 020 010 22 7 DeVore* 102 004 0X 7
Grimshaw 010 000 1X 2 Orvik 100 010 1X 3
Simonson* 020 202 0X 6
*last stone in first end Standings: Pool A: Brian Simonson (Minnesota) 4-0
Phil DeVore (Minnesota) 3-1
Paul Pustovar (Minnesota) 3-1
George Godfrey (Wisconsin) 2-2
Leland Rich (Alaska) 2-2
Merlin Orvik (Minnesota) 1-3
Michael Parry (Massachusetts) 1-3
Duke Grimshaw (Michigan) 0-4 Pool B: David Russell (Wisconsin) 3-0
Stuart Graves (Massachusetts) 2-1
Seppo Sormunen (Minnesota) 2-1
Jeff Wright (Illinois) 2-1
George Austin (New York) 1-2
Walter Ehlert (Wisconsin) 1-2
Lionel Locke (Minnesota) 1-2
David Garber (Wisconsin) 0-3 Women's standings: Pam Oleinik (Wisconsin) 2-0
Star Pfiffner (Wisconsin) 1-1
Jamie Hutchinson (Massachusetts) 1-1
Delores Montgomery (Ohio) 0-2 USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies and Nike as well as by AT,T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee. (30) For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org, 715-344-1199, Ext. 202, or 608-338-9900 (cell).